Problem-Based Learning with NIHF-STEM

5th Graders at the Bath Nature Preserve

5th Grade Think Like A Scientist

A group of students gathers on a wooden dock to observe the water, with a lush green shoreline and a blue cloudy sky in the background.
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A group of children and an adult gather in a wooded outdoor area, with some students writing on clipboards in the foreground and lush green trees filling the background.
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A man in a blue shirt and a young boy in red shorts examine a net in the foreground, while a person walks along a bridge toward a distant shoreline in the background.
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Three students work at a white table with science equipment in the foreground, set against a background of a classroom with large windows looking out onto greenery.
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Two young boys examine a microscope on a white table in a room with wood-paneled walls.
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A group of students and a teacher stand and sit along a grassy path surrounded by lush green trees and foliage.
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A group of students sits on a wooden bench in the foreground, listening to an instructor holding a pink balloon inside a rustic wooden pavilion.
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A girl looks through a microscope while a boy smiles beside her in a classroom with other students and whiteboards in the background.
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On September 3rd and 4th, Fifth grade learners practiced what it means to "Think Like a Scientist" at Bath nature Preserve.  While moving through four different stations, they explored, asked questions and experimented.  They took a nature walk to observe the sights, sounds and smells around them.  At another station they learned about biomimicry and used a microscope to examine specimens found in nature.  Learners also had the opportunity to investigate a pond and search for invertebrates.  Finally, the University of Akron Polymer Department taught learners about polymers and provided learners with investigative experiences to play with polymers by making slime, piercing balloons with a skewer and using rubber bands to launch cups.